Kari Rae

It's Interview Day!! And today I have the pleasure of introducing you to one of my dearest friends and favorite humans; Casey Zaruba!

Fun fact: Casey and I met online. And we're actually meeting in person for the FIRST time in 6 days. What a funny world we live in, huh?

I could go on and on about why Casey rocks so much, but I think you'll see soon enough! Meet Casey :)

Alright girl, let's chat! Five things that bring you joy?

My relationship with the Lord

My family (Husband and two boys)

Traveling

Reading

Being outdoors

Tell us about your family!

My husband Tyler and I met country dancing in Austin, Texas. We fell in love quick and we secretly ran off to the courthouse to get married 4 months after meeting. A Few months later we started trying for a little one, we thought this would happen quickly because I had just donated eggs to a couple that couldn’t get pregnant and everything was perfect.

For the next 2 years we would try and I would cry because it just never happened for us. In March 2013 (two years of trying later), we watched a movie called “Invisible Children” one night and it changed me. It changed the trajectory of my life, my faith, my family. The film is based in Uganda, Africa. After watching it, God very clearly spoke Africa to my heart. It was so tangible to me which was CRAZY at the time because I had never been out of the country, we were broke and newly-ish married. I thought it would just go away, but it never did. I told Tyler about how I felt God speaking Uganda, Africa and GO to me and he thought I had lost my mind. Keep in mind not only did Uganda sound crazy, but I was new to my faith journey at that time as well. So the mere fact that I said “God spoke to me” was not the normal. That isn’t something I say lightly and has only happened 2 other times since then.

I will spare the novel that this could easily turn into and fast forward some for you.

Well, 6 months after watching that movie in our living room and God speaking Africa to me...we boarded a 27 hour flight to Uganda, Africa to serve in an orphanage for a month. It was one of the best months of my life. We met and fell in love with a boy named Kamoga. He made my husband a dad, he showed him how to love someone that wasn’t a biological child and he changed our hearts. We came home and started an adoption process. We knew God was leading us down a different path and Africa confirmed that. We fought hard for 2 years to adopt Kamoga, but never could (longer story).

We got home from that trip in September 2013, and in September 2014 we got a call on a Tuesday night that there was a 4 day old baby boy in the NICU that was sick and needed a family, they thought that family should be us. That little 4 day old just turned 2 years old in September 2016. His name is Foster and he is the light of our life. When Foster was 10 months old we thought, "okay we will slowly move into adopting again" because we wanted our kiddos close in age and the first time took a while. 10 weeks after having that conversation, our second son was born and I got to be in the delivery room and cut the cord while crying with his beautiful birth mom through it all. That sweet little guy’s name is Murphy and he just turned 1 year old in November 2016. I am blessed beyond belief to get to live this life and be their mama.

How long have you been using Young Living, and why did you get started? What rank are you now?

I have been with YL for 2 years as of December and I am the rank of GOLD (Platinum is oh so close). When we brought our first son home through adoption he was very sick and I wanted to detox his body of everything. I saw Kari posting about essential oils and her love and success with them, so I read up on all the different oil companies and I actually almost ordered from another one because I “knew a girl” but then I read the Seed to Seal...no one else offered the promise of purity, commitment to the product, or humility like Gary Young and Young Living did. I was sold and never looked back.

It was the best decision I ever made for our health. I tried the products from the starter kit and wanted every ounce of knowledge I could get my hands on. It was such a blessing for us and still is. We use them daily for cleaning, bath, calming, energy, balance, pain management, emotional support, immune support, beauty products..everything.

(Kari here! Casey is talking about her rank and income and it's pretty crazy stuff. To be sure you really understand what we're talking about here. She is Gold, which has an average monthly paycheck of over $6,000. The next rank, Platinum, comes with a monthly income of over $14,000. Yes, PER. MONTH. It is crazy fun to watch my friends being blessed in this way, and to help our team each to get there too! Anyway, check out the stats straight from Young Living here.)

Where do you store your oils?

I use a clear nail rack that I snagged on Amazon. I keep them in my bathroom where they don’t get direct exposure and not in constant reach of my kiddos. For my rollers I have a GORGEOUS marble piece that I also got on amazon. The rollers are from Everyday Oil Essentials. All the links are here, here, and here.

You are running a rockin’ business. Did you see this coming? What has surprised you the most?

Honestly, I didn’t even a little bit. I should have believed in myself more than I did. Kari believed in me from day one and I will always be grateful for that. When I started using essential oils I truly only started the business to just pay for my oils, which was $100 a month. I needed to help two friends get oils to be able to place my order because we were not in a position where I could spend $100 a month on essential oils. My YL check in November was my biggest yet and could have paid my mortgage for 3 months. And our mortgage isn’t cheap either. I don’t say that to brag, I say it for people to know that this was truly unexpected and LIFE CHANGING for us. I am surprised how my husband went from being skeptical to grabbing all the oils books to find a recipe for his strained muscle or anything else. He is all in this with me and it is amazing to get to do this together.

What is something you’ve learned about yourself along the way?

That my journey and story is different from the next person. Not worse, not better...just different. To compare it is saying that it is less than, and how disheartening. God gave us each strengths and personalities so we would come alongside our brothers and sisters in Christ and do this life together. I am not the “ruler” of those 1200 people below me, We are just 1200 friends all trying to better our future, gain freedom and get healthier. It is so fun to get to do this life with strangers turned friends and getting to encourage each other daily.

If you could go back and talk to your pre-oils self, what would you say?

Pre-oil self I would say to NOT TRUST EVERYTHING YOU HEAR. I am still amazed at some of the products we all have used that are unbelievably harmful. They are “secret and slow destroyers”. I just wished I would have known sooner.

Pre-oil BUSINESS self--I would say even when others are growing and you aren't, even when you didn’t enroll a friend, even when no one is liking or commenting on a post...don’t give up. There were so many times I almost gave up because I wanted instant gratification. I wanted this insane growth that others had, I wanted a huge paycheck and I wanted it now. But, we can’t live someone else’s story and walk out their journey. We have to do ours and I am so glad I never gave up. I would have missed out on so much more than just a good paycheck. I would have missed out on the most amazing company, encouragers, friends and knowledge I could ever get my hands on.

What YL product could you NEVER live without? And what’s one that just makes you really stinkin’ happy?

Progessence Plus hands down. I grew up in a house that wasn’t always calm and tempers got lost a LOT. So naturally that is what I learned and that’s harder to change than you would think. I started using P+ and could see emotional support like I hadn’t seen before, I found myself being more patient, calmer, more understanding, motivated and focused. I use it every single day and have 2 back up bottles always. I put a roller on it and apply it to my wrists, forearms, lower abdomen, neck and chest. EVERY single day. Also JUNIPER makes me really stinkin happy. I actually didn’t even smell or try this for the first time until Silver Retreat this fall where it was being distilled. It instills confidence, focus, helps with memory retention and more. The smell is a bit strong, but I love it.

How much emphasis do you put on yourself to continue learning and growing?

It’s everything, the second I stop learning from others and learning to grow as a leader, person, friend and wife I am selling myself short and everyone else for that matter. We can never know too much or not have space to take in more knowledge. And the knowledge with this community is given so freely.

What have you always found to be easy within your business?

Sharing my story, just being and honest and vulnerable.

What have you found to be hard within your business?

Time Management. I have a 1 and a 2 year old, a very thriving full time job as an adoption consultant with over 60 clients and I run a team of almost 1200 with Young Living. I am still just watching others and learning what works best for us. Some people might and DO look at me like I'm crazy, but I have a two babies upstairs sleeping soundly that I want to give the world to and I can’t do that if I don’t work really hard to get it. So lots of “after bedtime” work gets done. I was up until midnight last night working on client stuff because I did oil stuff during the day and tonight it’s after 10pm and i'm writing this. Luckily it fluctuates and some days are easy peasy days hanging out with my family all day and some days we hustle all day and a lot of the night. In the end it all even out to the amount of freedom we have.

When you have time for yourself, what could we find you doing?

Oh gosh, If I had uninterrupted time to myself I would be reading. I have about 15 books on my nightstand that are just dying to be opened.

What has been the highlight of your career?

With Christian Adoption Consultants it is seeing families being built through adoption. With Young Living, it is seeing the hopes and dreams of my team members (that are now just my friends) coming to life. Seeing them reach goals and hustle to get them, seeing them get to splurge on something because their check was bigger. Seeing them feel like they have purpose and they have something that is theirs.

To somebody who is just starting their wellness journey with Young Living, what advice would you give?

I would tell you it is a learning curve, it takes time so don’t get frustrated if you ask a lot of questions. I still do! (Kari knows!) But it is the best investment you will ever make for you and your families health and wellbeing. When your body is being detoxed (which will naturally happen with essential oil use) you will feel a new energy, happiness, and just overall feeling good and not sluggish. You will see why so many “drank the water” before you.

To somebody who is inspired and also wants to check out the business side of Young Living, what advice would you give?

I would say DO IT. Learn from everyone you can, ask all the question and be inspired. You picked a good community to get started with. So many people have had to learn the hard way that who you invest in and trust to grab your kit from MATTERS. There are so many people that do not get the support or any that they need. We don’t want to sell you a kit and then disappear, we want to walk right alongside you every step of the way oiling right up with you friend.

It's Interview Day!!! And this one is from a Silver leader on our team who makes me SO proud.

Oh, Tracy Pilch. What a gem! I met Tracy through Instagram when she grabbed her Starter Kit of oils from me. And WOW, I am so glad she did. This woman is powerful, strong, brave, vulnerable, and so relatable. If I were to give her an award, it would be for "Most Growth" as she will never shy away from growing herself. It's been crazy cool to watch.

Really good coffee. I know, I know, that’s probably laughable. But there’s something about a really AWESOME cup of coffee, right? It’s an experience! I know you’re laughing, but really - think for a second how you feel with your favorite coffee. Pure joy, am I right?

Photography. Getting lost behind the lense is one of my favorite things to do. The world looks so different when you’re seeing it through the lense! We’re going into winter here which is one of my favorite times to just venture out right after it’s freshly snowed and take photos.

Horseback riding. Anyone who has ever been around horses will tell you that the smell of that barn is therapeutic. It’s such a release from all the worries of the world to just ride a top such a huge, peaceful, gentle animal. Definitely something that brings me so much joy.

Giving. Part of my personality (color personalities if you’re familiar with those) is being generous. I absolutely LOVE giving to people. I get so excited giving little surprise gifts, surprise visits, or offering help. That feeling of receiving gratitude from someone is amazing. Totally a high, and super addicting, giving is..

Tell us about you family!

I’m engaged to my HS sweetheart, Eric, who I have known for almost 15 years.

Together we have our 3 year old daughter, Kacey Jo. She’s a spirited, wild, sweet and loving, sassy little thing and our world revolves around her. She’s an only child for now but we’re hoping to expand our family in the near future!

We have one furchild, a cat named Paisley (lovingly nicknamed Roodle).

My husband is a logger and has been for more than 10 years. He works for a company that practices sustainable forestry. I’m a stay at home mom while working my oil business. I used to be a 911 dispatcher, for more than 8 years, so staying home was an adjustment but it’s the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done.

How long have you been using Young Living, and why did you get started? What rank are you now?

I’ve been using Young Living for just shy of 2 years. I jumped in to oils out of pure desperation to help Kacey (then a year old) sleep through the night. I was drowning in stress, nervous energy and worry. I had no energy, could not focus, and found little joy in day to day things.

After 3 months of researching essential oils and other companies, I grabbed my Young Living Premium Starter Kit in February 2015, and started building a business with in March 2015. I’m currently a Silver and so close to Gold (I will be Gold by February 2017, just watch me!).

Where do you store your oils?

I have a wall-mounted nail polish rack where the majority of them go. Then I have 2 aroma completes, so one case stores only unopened oils, and the other is my travel case for my team and friends to sniff oils. My goal is to have a bottle of every single oil, and one of every single product that Young Living carries. You could say I’m obsessed ;)

You are running a rockin' business. Did you see this coming? What has surprised you the most?

I never, ever saw this coming. I never thought I would be the type of person to ever have my own business, nevermind run a thriving business. I was an introverted stay at home mom, who was such a hermit. I had no contact with friends, not much of social life, and was not the most outgoing person. That’s probably what has surprised me the most. I have continually pushed myself out of my comfort zone and have grown from it SO much. I feel more confident in public, interacting with people, and being comfortable in my own skin. I’ve met some incredible humans along the way, and created relationships that have changed every aspect of my life.

What is something you've learned about yourself along the way?

I have learned that I am more brave than I thought I could be and that I am deserving of good things. Prior to Young Living and having my daughter, I was in a dark place, headed down a disastrous path. I hated myself, I never would have thought I was deserving of anything good. I’m a completely different person now. The ability to let myself be vulnerable and grow has shocked me.

A bigger lesson I’ve learned is that we are not the season we’re currently in, and we are not our past mistakes. Sometimes all it takes is us forgiving ourselves (truly) and changing our own thinking. Every single person (you reading this included) is worthy of SO MUCH and it’s true that “if you can dream it, you can do it” (thanks, Walt).

If you could go back and talk to your pre-oils self, what would you say?

Oh these questions are making me weepy! I would tell myself to have faith and lean on that faith. I would tell myself that the trajectory of my life was about to change and to hang in there and to believe in myself because I AM capable and worthy of what will be put in front of me. The path that will be quite literally dropped into my lap is one I want to run down, never looking back, and be comfortable knowing it’s the right thing.

What YL product could you NEVER live without? And what's one that just makes you really stinkin' happy?

One YL product I could never live without is Valor essential oil. Which is sad because they’re having such difficulty harvesting it right now. That oil has helped with some paralyzing fears that prevented me from doing many things. And one that makes me really stinking happy is the blend Live Your Passion. I smelled this oil at convention and it just gave me goosebumps. I swear it makes me feel like I can do anything. I wear it as perfume, and diffuse it all the time!

Another one (because I don’t follow the rules all the time) is NingXia Red! This drink has made profound improvements in my energy, ability to focus and overall wellness. In the last 2 years I’ve only been “unwell” once and it lasted a mere 3 days! This drink has more antioxidants than any other on the market. If you’re like me, I used to roll my eyes at the word antioxidant. But, seriously. Do some googling about free radicals (the freddy krueger of molecules) and how important antioxidants are! Plus, it’s delish and my 3 year old loves it.

How much emphasis do you put on yourself to continue learning and growing?

SO MUCH. It’s one of the most important things that I focus on. Every time I’ve gone through something, or come through a situation, or learned something that made me uncomfortable - I have grown and it was so worth it. I am constantly trying to be a sponge with information both with regards to the oils, and to leadership. I am trying to stretch myself out of my comfort zone, and absorb all the talents, skills and information everyone around me has to offer. This journey so far has been filled with learning and growth and it’s my absolute favorite part. Go into this with a student mindset at all points in your journey and you can’t go wrong.

What have you always found to be easy within your business?

Connecting with my people and cheering them on has always come easy to me. I wasn’t always that way - but this business has allowed me to see that part of my personality (the yellow part) and use it to make people feel better about themselves, their situation, and what they’re facing. I love to shower my team with love, help them set goals, pump them up and help them believe that they are amazing and worthy of all of this. I like to be a problem solver and focus on team unity.

What have you found to be hard within your business?

I struggle with feeling as though I am enough for my team. That I lead them with everything they deserve. I strive to provide them with the best tools, systems and help them with their mindset. Some days I feel like I’m doing a good job, and other days I think I’m doing it all wrong. It’s a challenge (the best kind) to learn to be a leader while people are relying on you to lead. This entire process has been an incredible personal growth journey.

When you have time for yourself, what could we find you doing?

You can find me either at the barn riding, or wandering around with my camera taking photos, or huddled up painting, drawing, or doing some hand-lettering or calligraphy. The smell of the barn and riding a horse is so good for the soul. Photography just gives me so much joy. And being cozy and creative (with a coffee and pajamas) is my idea of a good time.

What has been the highlight of your career?

Seeing my people succeed. This team is so important to me and these humans who I love so deeply have changed my life. Every success they see makes my heart just burst. I get so excited as they get close to goals they never thought could be a reality.. And then when they crush them I celebrate more than my own. I just LOVE seeing women take charge of their dreams and the moment they realize their future is about to change is so incredibly fulfilling.

To somebody who is just starting their wellness journey with Young Living, what advice would you give?

Be consistent in your use of the oils and other products. Be self-directed and chase after information like you’re hungry for it. The more you learn the more empowered you will be to make better decisions. Be open minded and always search for a better way, and healthier alternatives.

To somebody who is inspired and also wants to check out the business side of Young Living, what advice would you give?

Just do it. Put your whole heart into it and dive in. Any doubts you have you can figure out later. Be a student of the product and of the journey. Absorb as much information as you can. Let your passion for the oils be your guide and don’t let fear stop you from doing anything! The moment fear creeps in, tell it “thanks, but no thanks” and keep moving forward. Always keep a positive mindset and know that you are deserving of this opportunity that has been placed in front of you.

So now that we all adore Tracy, I want to tell you how to stay connected to her:

Okay friends! We're kicking off a series of interviews because I want you to know the amazing humans with amazing stories who make up our amazing team. ;) Yep, totally amazed by them.

I want to dive into this first one - Sydney Hardin! Sydney and I were actually cheerleaders at rival high schools, but we didn't let the competition get to us too badly because here we are! After seeing a few of my posts about oils, we started chatting and she decided to jump in, even though she had already been using oils from another company ::gasp!::

Today, she is one of my "top leaders" and I have the privilege of also calling her a close friend. I love this woman and her (really, really, ridiculously good looking) family. And she has the craziest, cutest dance parties with her little guys. I just had to share ;)

Without further ado... Meet The Hardins!

Thanks for joining us Sydney!! Let's do this. Tell us about some things that bring you joy?

-My Family-DUH ;) But truly! My two little boys are the best and I love that I get to spend every day with them!

-Along those lines, the amount of time I get to spend with my husband! He has been hard core dedicated to school ever since I met him, and he just recently graduated dental school in july and I FINALLY get him back! :) So much fun!

-My Young living career… jeez this is really all about family again, but I really cherish that I have a career where I get to choose if I have time or not! I don’t have to submit a request for time off for family vacays or anything like that! I can work from wherever and if it comes down to it and my children are just being complete psychopaths, I can check out and care for them.

-Living in Bend, Oregon! We have ALWAYS dreamed of living in Bend, and here we are! Just moved here after Josh graduated, and we are having SO much fun! There are so many sunny days, so many activities, hardly ANY rain, and I’m so excited to experience the snow!!

Tell us about you & Josh, you little lovebirds.

My husband and I grew up in Sandy, Oregon and met in high school. I was a junior, he was a senior. I had always known who he was just from seeing him around school and totally crushing on him, but he didn’t know who I was at all… haha Like I knew where his locker was every year and he… didn’t even know my name! So embarrassing.. Anyways! We had an anatomy class together in 2007 and had seats next to each other! (I was of course freaking out) and after a few study sessions and some Assassins Creed on Xbox, BAM the rest is history! ;)

We have been through lots and lots and LOTS together, but I’ve never felt more in love with him than I do today! We have the cutest little boys together (Emmett 3, and Rory 4 months) and I am so proud of everything Josh has accomplished! If you REALLY want to know someone and test a marriage, go through dental school! haha

How long have you been using Young Living, and why did you get started? What rank are you now?

So I started using *oils* when we lived at Josh’s parents house in 2013. I used a… different brand, but really liked the idea of using essential oils to support our body. I don't like going straight to certain medications and creams! Especially because I had just had our first boy and he had the most sensitive skin in the west! Everything I used on him made him break out.

Then one day, we moved out of their house. I had been using Josh’s mom’s oils and didn’t want to have to borrow them, so I went on the hunt for my very own kit! That’s when I came across one of Kari’s posts about how fantastic Young Living was and was like, “uhhh there are MORE companies out there??” Little did I know, YL had been around the longest out of ALL the companies! I read about their Seed to Seal promise, loved what came in their kit, and loved Kari so I was SOLD! That was in October 2014. I didn't even tell Josh I bought the kit. Shortly after, Kari kind of talked me into giving the business a try. I didn’t think I actually would, but after I started using the oils, I started just blabbing to everyone about them! It was natural! I was also working at a spa at the time doing facials and waxing and started using the oils during those services. People totally digged it, and it just BLEW UP! I was telling them, they were telling their friends, it was a lot of fun! (STILL IS!) Then after that first month, I had made a paycheck of $100 and I showed Josh! So naughty of me not to tell, but he was surprised and it was cool to show him what I did just in my first month!

I am now the rank of Gold and and hustling for PLATINUM by the end of the month! (Kari here: Sydney is being totally humble but I want you to know that the average income of Golds in Young Living is $6,042 per month, and when she hits Platinum so soon, the monthly check is over $14,000. Yes, per month. Check out all the deets HERE.)

So, you are running a rockin’ business. Did you see this coming? What has surprised you the most?

Did I see this coming...NO! NEVER EVER EVER EVVVEEERRR!!! I’m still in shock! This business has been an insane blessing for our family, especially coming out of dental school in more debt than you would evvver believe! I had some very personal things happen about a year ago and it really rocked my commitment I had to my business. I felt so bad for the team I lead that I had to take that step back, but family came first. What surprised me the most was that when I had to take that step back, my check just kept growing and my leaders just kept rocking it! I am so so so proud of my team and am lucky to have them! I love each of them!

What is something you’ve learned about yourself along the way?

I love strategizing with people. I am so excited for them to hit their goal, that I can’t turn my brain off sometimes! I’ve also learned to just be myself. People like you, because you are YOU and that’s what you know how to be.

If you could go back and talk to your pre-oils self, what would you say?

YOU CAN USE OILS FOR EVERYTHING! Don’t limit the possibilities! So many times I have totally spaced that I could have totally used oils for that! That and stay educated on the oils! It’s always fun to answer someone's oily question with the exact oil they might need!

What YL product could you NEVER live without? And what’s one that just makes you really stinkin’ happy?

Ningxia Red! It's an antioxidant beverage full of super fruits and oils that is powerful for keeping us healthy. I have been taking that every single morning and this last month, I forgot to put it on our order and we didn't have it that whooole month! I (STUPIDLY) just thought, “ohh it’s fine! I’ll just get it on my next order,” and we all got strep and now are sick AGAIN with some nose sniffles and coughs! WHHHATTT?? I want to slap myself!

The one that makes me so very happy is Release! But not for me.. Josh is not the best at spilling his feelings. He keeps all his woes in and then SNAPS! So I started diffusing Release when he got home from school and now work when I can just tell he’s in a mood, and I kid you not, every time he starts letting out all this stress he’s been carrying around like i’m some kind of counselor. The funny thing is, he has no clue I did it! :D

When you have time for yourself, what could we find you doing?

Shopping. I love cruising boutiques and finding fun fashions that not many people are wearing. I could spend all day long downtown! Either that or if I’m super lucky, at a spa! Mmmmm… That sounds fantastic right now!

What has been the highlight of your career?

Seeing so many people on my team be successful! Hands down! I honestly didn’t think this was a real job in the beginning, and now seeing people 'under me' do amazing things and reaching all kinds of crazy goals is SO fun to see! It’s always fun to celebrate!!

The Silver retreat (an all-expenses paid trip to Utah to visit the YL lavender farm, headquarters, and to be completely spoiled) was also the most incredible time and a BIG game changer for me! It made me wake up a little more to all the possibilities in this business and just really got me even more excited for the future!

To somebody who is just starting their wellness journey with Young Living, what advice would you give?

Don’t give up if a certain oil doesn’t work at first. Everybody is different and there is always more than one option for anything you want oils for. And don’t be afraid to ask!

To somebody who is inspired and also wants to check out the business side of Young Living, what advice would you give?

Use your oils! Use them for everything! And when you feel like “WOW! Those essential oils seriously worked!” SHARE! Share it from the rooftops! You aren’t making this up and because you had an experience that was personal to YOU, you will be able to tell the world about it in a way that comes across as interesting. Then see what happens! After that, have personal conversations with people that show interest and keep it exciting and fun! Make sure they know you love talking oils and that they can come to you anytime!

For the people that come to me just because they want to give the business a try, I always tell them to first use and fall in love with your oils. People know when you’re in it for the money and it neeeeevvvver works! You have to love essential oils and truly care about other people and their well being. That’s the secret recipe! ;)

Sydney, thank you so much for your time! Where can we connect with and follow you? And for those who are reading this and want to dive into essential oils with you, how should they do it?

And to get started with oils, the best way is to grab yourself a Premium Starter Kit (how I got started!). My personal signup link is HERE.

Click the link, choose Wholesale Member so you get your own account and 24% off all future orders. Then choose a Premium Starter Kit with the diffuser of your choice! I recommend the Dewdrop or Home Diffuser to start. Then connect with me so I can plug you into our Facebook groups! I can't wait to get you started!

Kari here: Thank you, Sydney!!! Even after knowing you and living life beside you for the last couple of years, it's still fun to get to know you more. I adore you, friend!

Toddlers, man. They get into EVERYTHING. Drawers, cupboards, doors, boxes, purses, whatever...you name it, they're INTO it, right? We tell him no, we ask him to put it down or close it or whatever, and he doesn't listen.

But lucky for me, I learned that telling this little dude that something is "not ours" weirdly works wonders. "Not our keys, baby!"

He repeats, "not ours!" and sets them down. "Dude, those pants on the shelf are not ours."

He repeats "not ours!" and immediately (usually) backs away. No fits, no crying, no tantrums. He just willingly gives it up.

I've giggled about how magical those two words have been, but it didn't hit me until yesterday. This is pretty profound.

When he realizes that something is "not ours" to begin with, he lets go of it so much more easily.

WHAT IF WE adopted that mindset? What if we held things so lightly in our hands that once we realized it was not ours from the start, it wasn't so selfishly painful to give it up?

One of the biggest and hardest lessons I've learned in foster care is that no matter what I do or how far we come together, each child in the system who comes through our home is not ours. Parents who have birthed a baby, the fact of the matter is that the same is true for you. If we believe that EVERY good and perfect gift is from above, then we have to believe that nothing we've received is OURS. In Les Miserables, one of the characters says about his love that "she was never mine to keep."😭

This boy is not ours. Any future children we have, no matter how they come, are not ours. This business we have been so blessed with...it's not ours. All the money we ever receive is not ours. This house is not ours. This gift / strength / talent is not ours. It is ALL a gift and a chance to worship the One who gave it to us in the first place.

Friends, may we take this lesson from a 2 year old. In every moment, may we realize that this life is NOT OURS, and with that knowledge, willingly give it all up. Scary to choose, but a calling is a calling.

And I think He is worthy of our faith and praise no matter how uncomfortable it may be.

Oh friends, please watch this video. I will warn you that it's really hard to see, but so incredibly well done & worth it.

Following a precious girl through her story of a broken home and a journey into foster care, this short film 'ReMoved' was so, so good for my soul.

If you are sobbing right now, you are not alone. I was doing the ugly cry. You'd almost think I were seeing these scenarios for the first time.

And for parts of it, it's true. Our foster kids all have their own story and for their privacy, we will keep it as their story to tell. In fact, there are many parts we don't know. But to have a visual depiction of how things might have been.... this wrecked me.

To imagine the sweet older sister dressing & feeding them, holding their hand and whispering that it will be okay. To imagine what they've seen. What they've heard. What they've been through. We don't even know the extent of it.

But...

The look she gives the caseworker when getting in the car... we've seen that look of paralyzing fear.

The way she rejects love, being unable to trust... we've felt that rejection.

The way she uses her body to express what her mind just can't comprehend...we've experienced the bruises from it.

The way something as well-intended as a new dress can send her down a horrible path... we've experienced that confusion.

But God. But God.

But God. Two of the most beautiful words in the entire Bible. If you don't know what I'm talking about, check this out! This is just a tiny sampling of all the verses with these words, but they are REAL GOOD:

Genesis 50:20You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.

Psalm 49:15But God will redeem my life from the grave; he will surely take me to himself.

Psalm 73:26My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Matthew 19:26Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.

Romans 5:8But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 6:23For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I don't have all the answers, but I certainly have hope. May we step forward and offer to do something as bold as loving a broken heart. May we offer to be the light at the end of the tunnel.

There are glimpses of hope in each moment of progress, in each step toward trust, in each giggle, each new lesson learned, and each hug. May we FILL these little souls with "but God" statements.